Merchandise-handling apparatus



Nov. 9 v G. A. JOHNSTON ET AL I MERCHANDISE HANDLING APPARATUS FiledJuly 6, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTORS 6.11 Jblmslzm EA B00195 ATTORNEY.

- K firmmvsv.

Nov. 11 1924. 1,514,769

' G. A. JOHNSTON ET AL MERCHANDI SE HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 6,1923 2 $huet5heet 2 Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

1,514,769 rics.

GEORGE A. JOHNSTON Ann FRED A. BOALES, or PORTLAND, OREGON.

MERCHANDISEJ-IANDLING APPARATUS' Application filed July 6, 1923. SerialNo. 649,833.

To aZZ whom z't may concern.

Be it known that we, GEORGE A. JOHNSTON and FRED A. BoALns, citizensofthe United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah andStateot Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMerchandisellandling Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for moving a body from a verticalto a horivide a device of this character including supporting rails, acarriage to receive the body to be handled and movable on the rails andarranged to be tilted relative to the rails,to transient-he body from a.horizontal to a vertical position or from a vertical to a horizontalposition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterincluding supportingrails, a carriage to receive the body to be handledand movable on the rails and'arranged tobe tilted relative to the rails,to transfer the body from a'liorizontal to a vertical position or from avertical to a horizontal position, and with means whereby the movementof the carriage is controlled. With these and other objects in view, theinvention consists in certain novel features of construction ashereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed outin theclaims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment ofthe invention Figure l is an end elevation of the improved apparatus.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the movable carriage with a portionbroken away to show the structure of the guide rails and rollers. i Fig.3 is a side View ofthe parts shown in Fig. 2, with portions broken awayand with the main support in section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. I I IFig. 4 is a detail on a reduced scale, illustrating the arrangement ofthemotion controlling combined air cylinder and spring.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 2 and3.

-Fig. 6 is a transverse section on the line 6'6 of Fig. 2, looking inthe direction of I the arrow. 1 I

F 1g, 7 is an enlarged sectional detail of a portion or" the combinedair cylinder and spring. I r The-improved apparatus may be employed inconnection with a storage platform, a vehicle or truck, or the like, andadapted to handle various arti'cles, but is designed more particularlyfor handling large rolls of paper such as used by newspaper publishersand the like, and for the purpose of illustration is shown in Fig. 1,applied to a conventional truck'device, for transporting rolls of paperoi this'cla'ss, but it will be understood that it is not desired tolimit the invention in any manner to the location of the'lowering andelevating device.

The improved apparatus includes spaced supporting members 10 which maybe the side rails of a truck as representedin Fig. 1.

Rigidly attached to the upper faces of the side members 10 at somepoints thereon are spaced supports 11, of hardwood or metal as may bepreferred and preferabliyextending at the ends beyond the members 10, asshown in Fig. 1.

Bearing upon each of the supports 11 is a guide rail 13, preferably ofsections of I- beams as shown in Figs. 5and 6, and rigidly secured byany suitable means to the sup-i ports '10. 1'

By thismeans upwardly opening guide channels are presented extending inparallel spaced relation, as shown in F igs. 2, 4, 5 and 6. Extendingbetween the uide rails 13 and mounted for rotation relative theretotherailsl is cut away as shown at 15, and i the axle 16 of the endroller14 extends through the flanges of the rails and transversely of therecesses or cut away portions 15, theportions of the axle 16 between thesidles of the channelled rails. forming stop ro s.

Movably disposed upon the bearing rollers 14 is a carriage orcar toreceive the body to be handled, andconsists of a base plate 17 withspaced bearing strips 18, beneath the side portions and bearing directlyon the rollers 14, as shown in Figs. 3, 5 and 6.

against the outer tacesof the L-bars d opera-tes.

Attached, to the upper face of the plate 17 at the edges are L-bars 19,and bearing over the L -bars is a flcor member including ddtviituiii edside 'p'ortioi'i's '20 bearing 19 and with the intermediate portioncurving downwardly between the members 19, as, shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

a. 1 Attachedto the floor meinber at the tail 10 end is stop member :23,for illustration formed of a section of an L-bar as shown in eto a ,A,a,cfhed to, thejlojiverfaces ot the hearing members 18 intermediate theends and depending into the channel portions oi the guide rails 13 ,areopen'stop hooks 2 1;ada-pto ;e'd ;t.o engage the stop rods 16 when thecarrija' ejis moved into tilting position, and at ,1 tab edto the lowerfaces ofthe members 20 P18 atrthejfend farthest from the stop rods -:16,:are sfops 25,,operatin'g toprevent lateral displacement Oi thecarriage. I n

Atotjafched to the inner face o'fone of the side members lOfisacylindei; 26 having a ,-piston =2'Zi;arf1d; a piston rod :28 moperating st lelfeinft-he cylinder being'open at onefend as shown in-Fig. :7, and closed'atthe-other endiexcept than open111gtortheipass'age f ,Qthejrod, the closed-end having astufii-ng box resentedc; conventionally at 9' 7 through ,Thehipiston 27 is :provided with asmall orrfice 3Q -and =anopenrn'g 31 over which an inward'ly operatingvalve 532 is connected as shoWninF1g7.

Connected at 33 to the piston headQ/Y is one end-of a spring 34, theother end-of the springbeing attachedat 35' to the adjacentfsideefnember :10. to

40'. e The spring operates? to hold the "piston head atone end ofthe'cylinder and Iiautomatically return it to initial position whenreleased. i 1 ,7 4 V Attached at one'ehd at 36 to the outer end .lot thepiston rod 28 is a, ,piill cable {H -leading o :theii'ce. overgLllClQtPllllYS '38 to a flexible coupling 'suc-lr'as chains 39 attachedto the carriage at .7 In operatnig the improved" apparatus, for

unloading, thecarriage carrying the roll to be unloaded upon the floor11,; is manually -movedalong the tracks 13 until the hooked catchesZtengage the stop rods and the gcarriagetilted into the-zposition shownin ;Fig, {1, whichjwill locate the ti ans verse; end stop 23. near the,floor or ground indicated at V 41.1 This movement of the carriage ,Will,causethe-chains 39 -a1id cable 37 to draw the pistofn 27itoward theclosed end of -the cylinder 26, against the resistance of the springcompressing the air Within the; cylinder,

-.-the orifice 30 Within the piston-head permittingfthe air-tosloiwlyescape fro nbehindthe piston head, thus allowing the carriage car ryingroll to slowly assume a vertical position. The roll may thenbe'shiit'ed'from the supporting stop 23, to the floor i1.

lhe carriage 1s then'manually tilted into horizontal position and'inovedalong the tra s13 and over the rollers 14:, into its 211 positionfthereaction of the spring assisting in the movement, While the orifice 31,and the inwardly operating valve permits the air gfz to rapidly re-enterthe cylinder, thus allowing the carriage to quickly assume a positionfor reception of a 7 new roll.

TWhen the carriage has been. re-

I turned to horizontal position, anotherroll of paper maybe rolled themember 10 and onto the carr age, and/the carriageagam actuated to loweranother body 12 in anupright position to the floor tl, and 'th eoperaftion repeated until the truck is empty. a

If the traokslg are located intermediate the ends; of the members 310,the rolls 4 2 will be moved from each end frame the carriage,

but it the tracks re locat'edtat 118' the "of the members 10, then theload v vill be rolled in one direction only to the carriage.

If thestoragerplace for the elevated'rol1s is a Warehouse or the like,the/members 10 .Will erely e at s k o} supp rt. t rolls, or other objectelevated by the coac'tion of the tracks and carriage.

The improved device is; construct on, can'be manufactured of anysuitable material and of any suitable and capacity, and adapted,vvithout structural change tothe elevation ofvarious objects or bodiesas before stated, I, p I

The preferred embodimentof the invention is disclosed in the drawingsand 'set forth in the specification, "but it lvvillfi be understood thatmodifications vvithin fthe scope of the claims may be-madein theconstruction Without departing from th'evprinci- =ple of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages. 4 p

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is l p 1. Inan apparatusoi' the class described, guide rails in spaced ,parallelrelation, said rails being formed vithupvvardly; opening longitudinalchannels, stop rods extending transversely of the; channels ofsaid'iguide 1 aw i e ora leo mera ds and open hooks attached tofsaidcarriage intermediate the jends thereot and depending into the channelsof the rails and fguidin-g the carriage relative thereto and' 'adaptedto engage the stop rods of the guide rails when the carriage is movedinto a predetermined position to enable the carriage to he tilted towarda vertical position.

2. In an apparatus of theola-ss described, guide rails in spacedparallel relation and formed of channel IDQHIlJGIS'WltlI the side websextended beyond the bottom Web, stop rods extending through theextending side Webs of the guide rails, a carriage movable on saidrails, and open hooks attached to said carriage intermediate the endsthereof and depending into the channels of therails and guiding thecarriage relative thereto and adapted to engage the stop rods oftheguide rails and extending into the cavity formed by the extensions ofthe side Webs When the carriage is tilted toward a vertical position.

In testimony whereof, We afiix our signatures hereto.

GEORGE A. JOHNSTON. FRED A. BOALES.

